Caring for live Christmas trees

Q. At the request of my son, I have purchased a live Christmas tree for the past two years. Last year, we planted the tree out in the yard but it did very poorly and we ended up removing it. I think I kept it in the house too long and it never recovered from the shock of the warm house and cold outside. It's a great deal of work getting these huge root balls in and out of the house. How can I get this year's tree to survive?
-- Andy K., Jamesburg

A. I commend you on the effort of getting a live Christmas tree into your home. Some of the root balls can weigh 100 to 200 pounds for a 5- to 6-foot tree. I know of several families that have the same tradition and have Christmas trees planted throughout their yard from past holidays. One family marks the year they plant each one of the trees as a way of remembering that Christmas. That family also decorates trees from past holidays with special ornaments.

Care of live trees
You can't treat live trees like cut trees and expect them to survive. The trees need special care to get them through the extremes of indoor and outdoor environments. Many people keep live trees in the house for too long. Because indoor environments are often too hot and dry and lack adequate sunlight, living trees should be kept indoors for no longer than a week.

Keep live trees in the coolest possible location, away from sources of heat, and provide them with as much light as possible. Keep root balls or pots thoroughly watered. It is wise to place trees in tubs or wrap root balls or place in a large container that will capture excess water. Extensive indoor stays will activate dormant buds and the tree will be more sensitive to winter injury once moved outside.

Selecting a tree to plant outdoors
Some varieties that make fine Christmas trees may not be the best options for your landscape. White pines and spruces are not my favorite Christmas trees, but these may be better selections for landscape trees. Avoid scotch pines, which tend to suffer from disease problems.

Select an outdoor location that has well-drained soils and gets adequate sunlight. Allow adequate space for evergreen trees so that they will have 15 feet or more to spread and 30 feet clearance for height. Don't plant trees near power or telephone lines or too close to homes.

Q. I have blue holly with berries that I would like to use in indoor decorations. Can I cut pieces of holly off of my bushes at this time of year without harming the plants?-- Anne B., Hamilton

A. You can cut greens for holiday decorations without harming your plants. I have four hollies that are now seven years old, so I selectively prune a little of the greens from each one. Other plants that are great for decorative greens include Douglas and balsam firs, yews and junipers. I would avoid taking cuttings of hemlock and spruce as the needles will rapidly fall if not kept in water.

I also have cut pieces of pine trees to use for decorations -- if you should do this, be very selective and don't overdue the pruning. You can make fascinating wreaths and other decorative arrangements from the greens in your yard.

Care of holiday wreaths
Garlands and displays greens from real plants should be kept as cool and moist as possible. You can use plant resin anti-transpirents and mist several times a day to help keep greens fresh. Move displays to a cool location at night. Avoid placing any display near a heat source to prevent drying and danger from fire. Commercial fire-retardant sprays also can be used for safety.

Bill Hlubik is a professor and agricultural and resource management agent for Rutgers Cooperative Extension-The New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Rutgers University. He is also a host of the "If Plants Could Talk" television series on NJN Public Television. His column appears every Thursday in The Star-Ledger. Send your garden inquiries to Plant Talk, The Star-Ledger, 1 Star-Ledger Plaza, Newark, N.J. 07102-1200 or planttalk@starledger.com.